The present invention relates generally to incense holders and burners and more specifically to an incense burner that includes a removable tapered smokestack and an electric fan to disperse incense smoke in an advantageous and pleasing manner.
Burning incense is popular in order to provide a pleasant aroma, create a particular atmosphere, or to mask unpleasant or undesirable odors. An examination of the prior art in the field of incense burners reveals several devices, none of which exhibit the novel combination of elements that are disclosed by the present invention. Typical prior art incense burners include a retaining element for securing an ignited piece of incense and means for catching falling incense ash.
It is known in the art to include a fan element for dispersing incense smoke throughout the room in which the incense is being burned. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,531 entitled Smoke Diffusing Device issued to Wisniewski on Aug. 26, 1980 discloses such a device.
It is also known in the art to provide a cylindrical smoke stack or chimney device to surround a lit stick of incense. Such an incense burning device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,719 entitled Incense Burner issued to Newman on Jun. 1, 1993. Another such device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,155,979 issued to Powell on May 22, 1979 which discloses a Combination Incense Burner and Incense Storage Device.
None of the prior art discloses a device that causes the incense smoke to present a visual display before being dispersed throughout a living space. It would be advantageous to offer a variation on a device which historically appeals to one human sense (smell) and double the number of senses effected by adding a visual spectacle. More specifically, it would be advantageous to provide a device for retaining and burning incense that will cause the incense smoke to gather, linger and undulate in the vicinity of the device. This present invention is just such a device which includes a means for retaining a burning piece of incense, means for impelling air flow through the incense burner, and means for dispersing the incense smoke in a visually pleasing manner. None of the prior art includes a fan element combined with a removable chimney that includes a smoke-retardant ring. Such are the objectives, advantages and novel structural elements presented by the invention disclosed herein.
Other objectives, advantages and novel features, further scope of applicability of the present invention will be set forth in the detailed description to follow, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
The present invention incense burner is a device for retaining and burning incense in such a manner that the smoke becomes subjected to the laws of physics which, until now, had not been harnessed for this purpose. The incense burner comprises generally a base member and a tapered stack. Within the base member, a fan retention unit defines a fan retention cavity. A switched electric fan unit is provided which is positioned inside of the fan retention cavity. Attached to top of the electric fan is a vented platform which contains a plurality of vents and an incense retainer aperture. An incense retainer is provided to hold a standard stick of incense which takes the form of a tapered shaft with a washer or disc attached thereto and which is configured to fit into the incense retainer aperture. A retainer guard in the form of a hexagonal nut surrounded by a metal foundation ring which is in turn surrounded by a circular rubber member forms a receptacle to receive falling ashes and embers. The fan retention unit sits on top of a four tiered rubber gasket, which in turn rests on a base with a dynamic aperture. A tapered stack or chimney is removably positioned on the top of the vented platform. The stack tapers from bottom to top and at its top includes a smoke-retardant ring and may have a screwably removable top portion. At the bottom of the stack and positioned amid its four legs is an air flow inhibitor.
The invention is employed by lighting a stick of incense and placing it into the incense retainer. The incense retainer is placed into the incense retainer aperture on the vented platform and the retainer guard is positioned around the incense retainer. Now the tapered stack is placed around the ignited stick of incense thereby surrounding it. The unit is plugged into an electrical outlet and the fan is switched on. Thus, air is sucked through the bottom of the device, through the fan cavity, through the vented platform and through the tapered stack where it mixes with incense smoke. The smoke traverses the tapered stack where it exits over the smoke-retardant ring. As such, the smoke presents itself in a pleasing manner, lingering and dispersing, due to the conflicting upward and downward air drafts.